Bravery Without Love
by EternalLove
Summary: Kagome runs from a ruthless Naraku who imprisons her for the shikon jewel she unknowingly keeps within her, only to be kidnapped by the order of a youkai lord seeking revenge for a lost love. How does she play into the games of these two and what is the s
1. Prologue: Cage of Riches

Cage of Riches  
  
She tugged at the beautiful finery she wore. Silks, satins, and velvets that caressed her skin, yet at the same time made her a prisoner. The cloth acted as a constant reminder of who's palace she was living in. That anywhere she went, she would be recognized for who she was. That whoever looked upon her would know immediately who she belonged to. Who her owner....her master. . . was. Which resulted in endless hours of endless reminders. And today was just another day of slavery in the hands of not ruffians or brigands, but of the most powerful ruler of the land. A man who's very presence stank of evil and hatred. She was chained down by gently whispered threats and smooth gestures. The life fit for the soon to be bride of Naraku, sadistic ruler of the feudal lands. She hated it. Every bit of her richly furnished room shouted a cruel cage built just for her. From the Grecian coaches to the damask curtained bed, it was all a cage to her very soul. She knew what the future would be for her. She knew she had been sold off like some horse. And she knew that she had only two weeks left to live.  
  
"Kagome-sama." her maid said softly.  
  
"I'm sorry Sango, I wasn't listening."  
  
"It's time for your harp lesson."  
  
Kagome got up and neatly slid her book back into it's place in the ebony carved shelves. For just an hour, she had lost herself in the free and imaginative worlds in her books. Free from the dread that sank into every part of her. And free from the hanging anticipation of him. Someone knocked on the door three times and she held her breath for the person coming in. But she let out a sigh of relief when it was just her harp teacher, looking overly frightened as usual. Kagome bowed deeply to the man when he came in. He was an aged man who looked like he had seen too much and had felt little peace. But his eyes were kind despite his stiff manners. Which meant...that he would be executed in a few days for seeming too kindly. And then there would be the hassle to find another harp master to teach her. And so the vicious cycle would repeat itself until they find a new, cruel harp master who would teach with a heavy hand. Of course, she would never be physically harmed, being that she would be married soon....only mentally harmed. With biting looks, caustic tones, and harsh words that struck her deep inside. She struggled daily to keep her emotionless facade on. But have you ever been told that you are the most wretched and the most ugly creature around without a sound being made? Have you ever felt eyes that burned your mind with it's hostility? And words that felt like every bone in your body was shattering? That timeless quote, 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me'? It seemed that even timeless quotes could be wrong. That even something that seemed so right in the eyes of others, could be wrong in hers. Nobody could fully understand the pain she was going through at the moment. The agony of knowing that only she knew. Only she knew why she was being wed. While the kingdom was being fed lies, she was being forced to swallow the truth. She mechanically sat before the harp and began to warm up with simple songs. Which then grew more and more complicated as her harp instructor looked on.  
  
"Beautiful, Kagome. Your talent is one of the few I have ever seen. I'd say just a few more months of learning and you could achieve master status. But....you never play with emotion, with your heart."  
  
"Sensei, there is no need to play with the heart. Emotions are not necessary to be great, to be the best."  
  
"So you say, but it is only when you feel great emotion that you can achieve great things."  
  
"Sensei, I believe you are incorrect." Kagome said, her monotonous voice disgusting even herself. But she didn't show it. She mustn't, for there were ears and eyes in every part of her room. Her teacher would be sentenced to death by tomorrow, or even tonight if Naraku hears of it. The lesson was soon over and the harp master was led out of her quarters by ruthless looking youkai that grinned with sharp teeth. He looked nervously at them as he was led out and the door was quietly shut closed. Sango began to prepare for her bath as Kagome began to put away her harp. As she slipped off her clothes she could feel the eyes on her. On her body. But it was something she had to bear, however ashamed she was. Sango opened the bathroom door for her and closed it after Kagome walked in. She was forbidden to wear any clothes in the bathroom, for fear of holding a knife and killing herself where there were no watching eyes. And so the longing to escape grew with each passing day. With each passing thought that wondered what the world beyond hers was like. A world with no fear. A world where she could be brave and do as she pleased. A world full of emotion when there was none in hers.  
  
*Just a short prologue as I said. But I will develop the story more. And this will be a Sesshoumaru/Kagome fic. And don't worry peeps, she'll escape soon from the evil clutches of that monster Naraku. But please review and tell me how you think of it so far. 


	2. Fortuitous Betrayel

Fortuitous Betrayel  
  
She kept her face frozen in neutral attentiveness, but her delicate fingers could not help curling themselves lightly in her lap. Her benevolent harp master had been "dismissed" by Narakuand another would have to be found. Something about not being 'suited' for the job and wasn't following instructions. The euphanism, 'dismissed', didn't trick her into believing that her teacher was alive and merely somewhere else. In this case, she knew better.  
  
"Thank you for telling me, you are free to go."  
  
The guard bowed low, but not low enough to show respect. His eyes boldly raised up to hers, as if signifying a defiance to her high station. In any other household or castle, she could have had him severely punish for such audacity. But this was Naraku's castle. Though she was a woman of high power, she was nothing in his domain. She ignored his rude manner and had Sango lead him out. While Sango closed the door, she flopped herself on her chair and rested her weary head on her hands.  
  
"I guess we'll have to look for another harp master, neh Sango?" she said in a slightly impatient and wearisome voice.  
  
"My lady is correct. Let us hope the harp master this time is more inclusive."  
  
"Yes, let us hope." Kagome breathed out.  
  
"Perhaps my lady needs some fresh air?" Sango said, looking up from her embroidering. Her eyes were politely worried.  
  
"That would be wonderful, would you inform the guard outside that we will go horseback riding for an hour?"  
  
"Will Naraku agree with it?"  
  
"I'm tired of being cooped in all day. I feel so weak all the time from being inactive."  
  
Something in Sango's eye gleamed but it disappeared and Kagome thought she had imagined it.  
  
"It should be a perfect day to go, lady. I shall inform the guard outside."  
  
Sango left to talk to the guard and Kagome slipped into a blue hakama and white gi. She was pulling her hair back with a white ribbon when Sango came in.  
  
"Naraku said it would be all right and that you could take the fastest horses if you wish."  
  
"Did he? He must be loosening up."  
  
"He seemd quite...insistent that you go for a ride. Shall we hurry before he decides to change his mind?"  
  
"I'm all ready."  
  
The guards stood at attention when Kagome left but she could feel their beady eyes staring holes into her back. It prickled her back and sent uncomfortable goosebumps all over her skin. Sango nonchalently led her to the stables that had two mares ready for them. One was a pure night black that shimmered from a fine coat. She was a patient looking horse but one to be wary when riding. The other was a blue roan and gingerly tossed her head around. Kagome was given the night black and expertly started to lead her horse out to the forest surrounding the castle. Sango led the way towards an unknown path, one that Kagome had never even seen.  
  
"I've never seen this path before Sango. Did you find it?"  
  
"It has been here for ages, my lady. Shall we go into a gallop?"  
  
Kagome needed no answer because she raced past Sango and galloped down the worn path. The smooth gait of the horse began to release all the tense muscles Kagome had been holding in the gloomy atmosphere of Naraku's castle. For a while, Kagome just leaned her head and listened to the sound of her breathing and feeling the adrenaline coursing through her body. Trees rushed past in a blur and the distinct scent of leaves and animal life filled her nose. The wind made tears stream in her eyes and she could feel her lips pulling back in a smile that she had not used for days. It had been too long since she could let herself go like this. With no worries of consequences and no worries of prying eyes. But she started to slow down when she could hear no other hoofbeats except hers.  
  
"Sango?"  
  
She turned her horse around and looked about but there was no sign of her maid. *Did she get lost?* But before she could tap her feet on the horse's side to a trot, a bag was swiftly pulled over her head and something hit her behind the neck. Darkness filled her eyes and she could feel herself falling. But strong arms caught her before her body hit the ground and she knew no more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The pungent smell of smoke filled her nose and made her wake up. There was a sound of voices arguing. One was extremely familiar while the other was harsh and complaining. Both were going up and down in pitch by their anger.  
  
"It doesn't matter who she is, it's not as if she was doing it on her own will!"  
  
"Feh! Anybody near Naraku is bad luck. I say we lock her up in chains just in case."  
  
"You baka! I know this girl and she doesn't have an evil bone in her body!"  
  
"I don't care for anybody's judgement except mine."  
  
"You're so stupid and narrow minded sometimes!"  
  
Kagome tried to move her hands but found that they were bound together by a thin cord that bit into her flesh. Her legs were tied as well and it was a struggle just to sit up. Other than a mild headache she felt fine, but where was she? She was in a small hut that was barely furnished and the voices outside were still bickering back and forth. *Sango??? That sounds like Sango's voice!*  
  
"Sango?" Kagome called out cautiously.  
  
A familiar head poked in.  
  
"My lady....if you will excuse me for a second."  
  
Sango went back outside and Kagome could hear a huge thud as something heavy fell on the ground. There was a long shout of curses and threats from the other person outside. Sango walked in with her knuckles cracking and a smile on her face. Kagome had never seen her maid's face full of so much emotion. There was happiness and relief in her eyes with a touch of worry as well.  
  
"Sango, what's going on? Why am I tied up?"  
  
"Oh, my apologies, lady!"  
  
Sango immediately untied the cord and rubbed Kagome's wrists to put in some circulation.  
  
"That stupid idiot outside wanted to tie you up like some villain. Honestly, he thinks everybody is the same to him. Narrow minded baka!"  
  
"Sango, what is going on?" Kagome said in a serious tone.  
  
Sango's face lost it's carefree emotions and closed off completely to Kagome's eyes.  
  
"Please accept my most sincere apologies, my lady, but you have been kidnapped."  
  
Kagome stared at Sango's face, looking for any signs of mischief in her eyes. But there were none and her face was solemn. *Kidnapped? By my own maid?* Then she couldn't help herself anymore. She started to laugh.  
  
A/N: No, no, she's not going nuts. all will be explained in the next chapter. it seemed right to stop it here. review if you would like the third chapter out!!! 


	3. Fortress

Fortress  
  
Kagome could feel her sides aching from laughing so hard but she couldn't stop. The simple irony behind what Sango had done was just hilarious. She had been longing to escape from Naraku's castle but had never been able to find a way out. And her trusted maid had simply walked her out of the castle. And now? Now she was free. Sango's delicate eyebrows raised up in question. Finally, Kagome could feel her laughs dying down and she took deep wheezing breaths.  
  
"My lady, are you alright?" Sango asked.  
  
"I'm *giggle* fine Sango. Just give me *giggle* a minute."  
  
"What is so funny?"  
  
"I've been longing to get out. Thank you Sango! Thank you so much for getting me out of there."  
  
"But-but....this was suppose to be a kidnapping."  
  
"You can't kidnap the willing."  
  
Sango gave a sigh and slipped on her shoes.  
  
"I suppose not, my lady. The horses are waiting outside and we will ride to the rebel camp."  
  
Kagome followed her and slipped on her shoes. Waiting outside were their two horses and a grumpy looking man with strange silverish hair. He was leaning against another horse with his arms crossed. He had fiery golden eyes that, at the moment, looked very annoyed. His clothes were a bright red and were slightly dirty, as if he had fallen.  
  
"Why did you untie her?"  
  
"She wanted to be kidnapped."  
  
He almost tripped from his position.  
  
"She what?"  
  
"Baka, you've got perfect hearing."  
  
"Why does she want to be kidnapped? She is being taken away from her 'precious' fiance." he said sarcastically.  
  
"He's not precious." Kagome quietly responded.  
  
"Why? You're getting married to him."  
  
Sango hushed him up with a punch in the light cheek.  
  
"For kami's sake, just shut up. You don't understand anything at all, thank goodness it's your brother who's in charge."  
  
The man's face turned as red as his clothes and he scowled ferociously.  
  
"Who cares about that idiot, he's stupider than me."  
  
"Ha, you just admitted that you're stupid."  
  
His face changed into one of confusion. Kagome could feel laughter bubbling up inside at how confused he looked. She instead grinned so as not to annoy him and mounted her horse. Sango was already on and led the way down a carefully hidden path. Kagome could hear the man getting on his horse and following behind.  
  
"Who is he?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru's younger brother."  
  
"Half!!! Half brother!" Inuyasha called out.  
  
"Half brother." Sango muttered.  
  
"Sesshoumaru?"  
  
"He's the leader of the rebellion against Naraku. He was the one who ordered me to take the job as a maid a few months ago. Then, on a certain date, I was to kidnap you."  
  
"But...what are you going to do with me? I'm worth very little in Naraku's castle and I doubt that he'll even pay for a ransom."  
  
"Well, the thing is...I don't know why I was ordered to kidnap you. Sesshoumaru never told me and I figured it might be dangerous information."  
  
"But I'm worth nothing."  
  
"I thought it was strange that you were to be kidnapped and not one of Naraku's henchmen. I know Naraku thinks very little of you, even though you two are getting married."  
  
"I asked once, but they threatened to kill me if I questioned Naraku's decision again."  
  
"I guess that is something my lady will find out when we get to the camp. It's half a day's journey there if we go at a steady trot."  
  
"Sango, they won't hurt me, would they?"  
  
Sango gave a regretful look.  
  
"I do not know, my lady. All I know is that I was to kidnap you. But I will try my hardest to prevent any harm from coming to you."  
  
"Even at the risk of our rebellion?" Inuyasha asked.  
  
Kagome turned her head to him. He was serious and his lips were set in a grim line.  
  
"You would risk everything we have worked for to protect the girl who might be the key to crushing Naraku's power?"  
  
Sango was silent, torn by her love for the rebellion and her loyalty to Kagome.  
  
"Leave her alone." Kagome said.  
  
"Stay out of this."  
  
"No." Kagome said strongly. "You can't ask such questions like that and expect an immediate answer."  
  
"The answer should be simple enough." he shot back.  
  
"You are asking her to choose between two things that she holds dear! Don't you realize exactly how hard of a choice that is to a person?"  
  
"No, and I don't care."  
  
"You are so insensitive! I can't wait to see the day that you have to choose between two things you love!"  
  
"It won't ever happen so I guess I'll never know."  
  
"Selfish, so selfish." she said.  
  
"You should talk, you spoiled little princess."  
  
"I'm NOT a princess."  
  
"You're marrying Naraku."  
  
"That doesn't automatically make me a princess, you ignorant fool. And you can't use the fact that I'm marrying Naraku against me."  
  
"Why not? It clearly shows that you're in league with him."  
  
"Do you know how much I hate him?" she said in a strained voice. "He is the reason why I couldn't be happy for two years. Why I'm scared to go to sleep because I might die in the morning. Why I have not laughed or smiled for months. And you accuse me of being in league with him? You have no idea, absolutly no idea." Tears were running down her cheeks and her eyes almost glowed a blue-silver from her strong emotions.  
  
"Hey....why are you crying?" Inuyasha asked hesitantly.  
  
"Inuyasha, go on ahead, we'll meet you at camp."  
  
"You can't defend yourselves if there's an attack."  
  
"Just be quiet, and leave." Sango hissed, her face promising a beating if he stayed. He  
  
understood and took off in a gallop. Sango moved her horse closer and patted Kagome's back.  
  
"He's an idiot and don't believe a word he says, my lady."  
  
"I know. It's just, I can't believe he thinks I'm in league with Naraku!"  
  
"He doesn't understand anything. Don't worry, you won't be seeing much of him, I'll make sure of that." Kagome wiped her tears with her fingers and sighed deeply.  
  
"Wow....I haven't cried for ages."  
  
"Let us hope you will have no reason to in the future."  
  
"I hope too."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was near sunset when they arrived at a massive and heavily guarded fortress at the top of a tall mountain. It was the ideal place for a fortress. The steepness of the mountain would give a great advantage to those within the fortress and it made looking out for enemy forces easier as well. Kagome peered up at the impressive stone walls that towered high above her. The thickness of the walls assured her that it would be a tough job to ever break them. All the soldiers keeping lookout were attentive and very keen. Several saluted to Sango and Sango waved back to them. A young priest came out of the main house with a bright smile on his face. He had his hair tied back and was wearing a long flowing blue priest's garb. He held a long staff in his hands that had rings intricatly woven into it. Sango got off her horse and ran into the priest's arms. Others came out of the house as well and greeted Sango. Kagome sat on her horse, feeling left out but she decided to make herself look busy by observing the inside of the fortress. There were people everywhere, it was almost like a large town fitted into the fort. Women were milling about in aprons and children were playing everywhere. The sheer control and orderly command of such a large fortress made Kagome feel a speck of respect for Sesshoumaru. An operation of this magnitude made Kagome wonder how many hours this Sesshoumaru had put into starting such a rebellion. He was obviously rich, considuring that all the people looked well fed and clothed. All the weapons were new and sharp and the soldiers weren't the rough and unorganized men that roamed the countryside. They all look like trained and skilled men. Why would a rich man want to start a rebellion?  
  
"My lady, come, dinner is ready and you will be meeting our leader."  
  
Kagome slid off the horse and the priest helped her get down. Then she felt a certain hand rubbing her butt and she squeaked.  
  
"Hentai! What in the world do you think you are doing?!!"  
  
Sango didn't look surprised at all and just smacked the priest in the head.  
  
"My lady, please meet my fiance, Miroku." Kagome backed slowly away from the priest and behind Sango.  
  
"A pleasure to meet you, my lady" he said, bowing low.  
  
"Eh..pleased to meet you too."  
  
"Then perhaps we can meet later in the moonlight?" he said hopefully, receiving another smack in the head from Sango.  
  
"Come, my lady, let me show you in. Miroku, you and I will have a talk later."  
  
Sango led Kagome into the main house and through several corridors till she reached a large wooden door. She pushed it open to reveal a large dining hall packed with people. It was a tasteful room and there were long tables that sat up to forty people in just one. Nobody noticed Sango and Kagome entering the room since they were too busy eating. Seated up front, however, was a man who's eyes were on her the second she came in. At first she thought it was Inuyasha because of his silver hair, but it was finer and more tamed. As she walked closer she could see a swirl of emotions in his golden eyes. But the primary one was.... recognition? Sango bowed deeply before the man and moved aside for Kagome. Unsure of what to do, she bowed as well. When she lifted her head up to meet his eyes she took a hesitant step back. Recognition had been replaced with sad love and Kagome was caught by his gaze.  
  
*Ah yes, now, who is that man? and why does he want to start a rebellion against Naraku? take a big guess! and i decided, instead of using the ol' kagome falls in love with inuyasha, inuyasha loves kikyo, kagome falls in love with sesshoumaru, i'd go for something different. and i actually like what i have in mind for future chapters. so, as always, please review! 


	4. Unforgettable

Unforgettable  
  
He had frozen in his chair when he first saw her walk in. The liquid black of her hair and the pale cream of her skin stood out like a beacon among the other people in the room. She looked just as he had remembered her in his dreams, lovely and delicate. Like a treasure. Her face beckoned him to run and hold her in his arms again, his hands trembling to run his fingers through her silk soft mane. To breathe in the scent of warm passion. To finally feel again the perfection of her body next to his own. Agonizing, yet unforgettable memories manifested in his mind as her figure came closer. Memories of a lost love, one that he could never wish to forget. Was it her? Had she come back to him after all this time? Sango bowed before him but he took no notice of her, only watching the person he loved most in the world. But when she looked up at him after bowing he could feel his hope shattering like fragile glass. Her azure eyes were not a warm brown, like his love's had been. And the scent, the scent was different. The princess smelled of jasmine and night, not warm passion. No....it wasn't her. He slowly closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing heart. But a deeper pain ran beneath as he tried to rebuild himself back into the emotionless lord of the west. He kept his eyes closed, fearing to see the mirror image of his lost love.  
  
"What is your report, Sango?" he said in the most impassive voice he could muster.  
  
"I have the princess...but sir, I believe that Naraku won't pay a ransom."  
  
"I will decide that for myself Sango, you are dismissed."  
  
He could feel a slight wind from Sango as she gave a quick bow and left, leaving the princess standing before him. But he couldn't go throughout the whole time without looking at her face. As slowly as he had closed them he opened his eyes. She looked unsure of herself but held her head high, like a true princess. But her face stabbed at his heart for every passing second she looked at him.  
  
"Naraku will not pay a ransom for me." she said, breaking the silence between them.  
  
"We will not speak of this in here. A servant shall take you to my room."  
  
With a slight motion of his hand a young girl appeared before him. She gave a bow and began to walk to the door. The princess looked at him for just a second more, then turned and followed the servant out without another word. A few more soldiers came in with reports and he took care of them with a troubled mind. He was trying to delay his meeting with her, but it could not wait. Not if he wanted to see his love again. He dismissed the rest and stood up. Most of the people had already left the room but the few who were still there stood up as well and remained standing till he left the room. His own rooms were situated on the top floor of the main building. Usually, he prefered to fly up to his windows instead of taking the stairs. But tonight, just for tonight, he would delay even more time and take the stairs. His steps echoed in the darkness and millions of thoughts were running through his mind. What would he say to her? Could he meet her straight in the eyes without feeling his heart break? In a short time he was standing before the ornate doors leading to his quarters. They opened before his presence and he reluctantly stepped into the room. She wasn't sitting in the chair in front of his desk but was standing on his balcony outside. Gauzy curtains billowed about as a small breeze blew into the room. She was leaning against the balcony lightly, just looking at the vast land around them. As if she could feel his eyes on her she turned around and met his piercing gaze. He turned his face away and started to walk to his desk. Small hands pushed aside the curtains to get into the room and she sat in the chair.  
  
"As I have said before, Naraku will not pay a ransom for me." she said in a wavering voice.  
  
"My intentions do not include a ransom for a princess."  
  
"Then what are your intentions? What use do you have for a worthless princess?"  
  
"You underestimate your own worth. Either that or you do not know the true meaning of why  
  
Naraku wants to marry you."  
  
"My lands."  
  
"He has plenty of land."  
  
"Then why?"  
  
"It is better if you do not know."  
  
"If it has something to do with me, then I have the right to know." she argued.  
  
"You will stay here till the rebellion has won. For no reason are you to leave the walls of this fortress, if you do then you will be killed immediately."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I have no qualms about killing females so do not think I will show any mercy to you."  
  
His mouth stung from the words that had just come from his mouth. It appalled him that he could ever kill someone who looked like his lost love. But if he had to....then he must. She opened her mouth to say something but he raised a hand.  
  
"Leave. A servant is waiting outside and will take you to your rooms. And do not forget my warning for it will be issued only once."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Leave!" he spat out, not wishing to see her face again.  
  
Hearing the harshness of his voice she stood up and left the room. He rubbed his face with one hand, the other resting upon his chest. A broken heart is the worst feeling in the world.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The same girl from before led her to the floor beneath the leader's quarters. She walked to the second door on the right and slid it open to reveal a simple room. It was of middle size and held a futon, a chest of drawers, and a small desk. Nothing more, nothing less. When Kagome turned around to thank the girl she was already gone, like a ghost. With a sigh she closed the doors behind her and wearily sat on the futon. That man scared her. It wasn't his harsh voice or his air of authority that frightened her. It was his eyes that had held a sad love. He looked at her as if she was the most important thing in the world. In his eyes she felt cherished and prized, a feeling that she had never felt before. But she also felt like it wasn't really for her that he was emitting all these feelings. She felt like it was all for someone else, and that's what frightened her the most. His eyes held so much regret when they had talked in his room, creating an unknown emotion in her.  
  
"He almost looks like he wished there was someone else in my place." she whispered to herself.  
  
But the new emotion kept bothering her, preventing her from sleeping. What was it that she felt when he looked at her? She felt like.....felt like.....*Gah, I don't know!* Who was she to assume things when this was the first time she had met him? She turned to her side and stared at the white wall in front of her. Maybe....just maybe she wanted to help ease the pain and anger in his eyes?  
  
"Maybe..." she whispered one last time before falling asleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He stared down at the valley from his perch on the roof. He was standing at the very edge with his hands tucked into his billowing sleeves. This was the highest point of the valley and offered the greatest view. A cold night wind rustled the trees around the fortress, creating a sound similar to the gentle crashing of waves on a beach. The moon was but a sliver tonight, a facsimile of the tattoo on his forehead. There was a lone cloud in the sky that covered the moon's thin rays off and on, creating an effect of darting shadows on his pensive face. And yet his thoughts were not on the spectacular beauty below him but elsewhere. He had hoped so hard and wished so often that he thought all of his work would finally be rewarded. But to be thwarted by a mere imitation of the woman he had loved was intolerable. *Mere imitation indeed* He wondered where his love was now and if she was even alive. He gazed forlornly at the faraway castle of Naraku as his fists clenched at the thought of the disgusting hanyou. *Naraku, he will receive his just rewards, I'll make sure of that* But all thoughts of Naraku faded as he breathed in the scent of jasmine and night. How did her scent get all the way up here? He tried to be repulsed at the scent but found himself breathing even deeper. It calmed him in a way it never should have and with a quick movement he flew off the roof and back into his room. With the flick of his mind he closed the doors that led to the balcony, careful not to catch the gauzy curtains. The smell had dominated his room, clinging to everything. He angrily flung open the doors to the balcony to let a breeze come in and sweep the smell away. But it stayed nonetheless and he weakily gave up. Though the scent of another was in his mind, the name of only one was in his heart.  
  
"Kikyo." he murmured to the voiceless air.  
  
*Unexpected, ne minna? Yup, all you kag/sess lovers out there must be disgusted with me, but it works well with this story, and its a new twist too. and NO, this is NOT a kikyo/sess story. i truly shudder to think! a bit of a short chapter i know, but i thought it was perfect to end it right here. 


	5. Dine in Moonshine

Dine in Moonshine  
  
The young woman looked up as if someone had called her name. Her ears couldn't hear it but  
  
deep inside it felt as if someone was calling her. Someone who was in desperate need of her,  
  
but before she could process this thought a different voice called out her name.  
  
"Kikyo." it whispered seductively.  
  
She rose up from her desk without a word and turned around to face the direction of the  
  
voice. Naraku was standing in the doorway with a devilish smile on his face. As a wolf moved  
  
to it's prey so Naraku moved to Kikyo. As if she was use to this she made no movement or  
  
facial expression. The finey of his silks made the tiniest noise against the wooden floorboards,  
  
a rustling sound that faded into the darkness of her room. Moving as close as an inch to her  
  
body Naraku raised a pale skinned hand and gently caressed Kikyo's face. Once again she  
  
made no movement or expression at his actions. He gave a bored sigh and dropped his hand.  
  
"Only two more weeks, my love, and then we can take up our daily routine. Once I'm done  
  
with the princess it will only be you."  
  
"Why not finish off with her now?" she asked.  
  
"Everything will be told when the job is done. For now, I have a bit of an inkling of where the  
  
princess has escaped to. Which is why I am here right now."  
  
"What do I have to do?"  
  
"Go to Sesshoumaru's fortress and stay with the princess till one of my messengers contacts  
  
you there."  
  
A flicker of emotion passed through those cold brown eyes, lighting them up with the love  
  
Naraku had always hoped to spark.  
  
"Sesshoumaru....." she said with a touch of wonder in her voice. But then she gave a gasp of  
  
agony and fell to the floor, the hard wood shooting bolts of pain through her knees. She  
  
grasped her chest and hunched over. Naraku stood over her with a glowing red heart in his  
  
right hand, squeezing it. There was a look of crazed hatred in his eyes as he towered over her  
  
crouched form.  
  
"Remember this Kikyo, the only reason I am sending you to him is so that he will let you in  
  
and trust you. You WILL NOT exceed what I tell you to do, understand?" he said. "If you do  
  
disobey me then I will send you to the dungeon again and you will be re- educated in  
  
obedience."  
  
The word dungeon made Kikyo wince and she nodded her head in agreement. Naraku gave a  
  
smile and the heart disappeared from his hand.  
  
"Good. You will leave in one week, I will explain more of your mission in a few days."  
  
Kikyo just nodded her head as she stared at the miniscule grains in the wood, trying to make  
  
her heart slow down. The shoji doors slid closed and she gave an inner sigh of relief. She had  
  
come close tonight and it must not happen again. *It was my choice. I chose to be here* But  
  
those thoughts did not help as a small tear slid down her thin cheeks and onto the floor.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She was awake but had no desire to open her eyes. And yet, she had to prove that she wasn't  
  
afraid, that she wasn't going to hide in her room like a little child. Small beams of sunlight  
  
came through her window and she couldn't help but smile. At least she wasn't at the castle,  
  
where she would have woken up in fear and not determination. With a stretch and a yawn she  
  
got up and started to go through the little chest of drawers. There were simple cotton clothes  
  
and were not fit for a princess. But she had never felt like a princess anyway and happily  
  
slipped on the clothes. After a few adjustments here and there she slid open her door and  
  
stepped into the hallway. It was quiet, the only sounds was the echoing pit- pat of her feet as  
  
she started to walk downstairs. There were a few people in the dining room but it was mainly  
  
empty, looking less gloomy than before. She picked up a small plate of food from a smiling  
  
woman and sat down at a table in the corner. She was silently eating when someone sat down  
  
next to her. She looked up to see Inuyasha staring nervously at her. She put down her  
  
chopsticks and faced her body towards him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
He looked down at his hands with a frown.  
  
"I just wanted to apologize for making you cry yesterday...."  
  
She turned away and started to pick up her chopsticks.  
  
"It's alright, you didn't know."  
  
"It's just-it's just that Naraku has done a lot of things to the people in this fortress."  
  
"That doesn't mean you should suspect someone immediately. Being cautious is fine, but you  
  
draw the line when you start to verbally attack the person."  
  
"I know I know, I'm sorry ok?"  
  
She looked down at her miso soup for a moment then pushed it away.  
  
"If you really want to make up, why don't you give me a tour of here?" she said, looking up at  
  
his face.  
  
"Fine fine, as long as Sesshoumaru doesn't order me to do something."  
  
She stood up with a clap of her hands.  
  
"Ok, let's get going. If I'm going to stay here I want to know all about the place."  
  
Inuyasha got up more slowly and muttered under his breath.  
  
"Someone's got energy this morning."  
  
She looked around her as they walked into the courtyard. There were already groups of  
  
soldiers about in neat lines. Children were running about, giggling and smiling. Women milled  
  
around the small huts in the fortress, chatting about everyday things. The security of this  
  
place was reassuring from the rather peaceful faces of the people. But also by the strict yet  
  
tactical hand that was behind all of this.  
  
"Do you think he'll let me stay here?" she asked without taking her eyes off the people.  
  
"He?"  
  
"Your leader, Sesshoumaru."  
  
"He'll keep you as long as you're useful."  
  
"Thanks, that helped a lot."  
  
"The most honest answer I have."  
  
"Is he really that kind of person?"  
  
"I've known him all my life, so yeah."  
  
"You must be loyal to stay with him that long."  
  
"Try stubborn, the only thing we have in common is Naraku."  
  
"What did Naraku do to you?"  
  
"More like what he did to my brother."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Never mind, forget it."  
  
"What? Tell me."  
  
"It's not my place to tell, besides, if he knew that you know then he'd take it out on me."  
  
The conversation ended just like that and Inuyasha led her all around. The fortress was  
  
extensive and spacious inside. There were places for all kinds of people. From soldiers, to  
  
families, to swordmakers and other weaponry specialists. Wooden huts were placed in even  
  
rows that had a street in the middle. It was very much like a town, even up to the  
  
shopkeepers shouting out bargains. But there were not only people around, youkai walked  
  
about as well and nobody seemed to be bothered by their strange appearances. At one point  
  
a wolf youkai ,dressed in what appeared to be fur pelts, randomly started a fight with  
  
Inuyasha which ended with Kagome begging for them to stop. The youkai gave a curious  
  
glance at Kagome then walked away as if nothing had happened. Inuyasha was in a sour mood  
  
for the rest of the tour and just pointed things out in a gruff voice. He was done by the time it  
  
was lunch but still in a sour enough mood to snap at anybody. The fortress had exceeded her  
  
expectations. The security of those thick stone walls and the impeccable leadership that  
  
made life run smoothly here made her feel safe. It surprised her how just one day within  
  
these walls could make her feel safe from even Naraku's clutches. She was even more  
  
surprised when she was called upon to dine with Sesshoumaru in the evening. The pale girl  
  
from last night whispered in an airy voice that the leader wanted her to join him for dinner  
  
and to dress for the occasion. But before Kagome could ask questions the girl quickly bowed  
  
and left. *Dress for the occasion?* Her question was answered when a rather lovely kimono  
  
was laid out on her futon. It was a cream colored silk with butterflies embroidered all around  
  
it in gold thread. Little pearls were also sewn onto the butterflies and made her very wary of  
  
sitting in that kimono. But all this finery made her feel....cautious. Last night he had looked at  
  
her as if she was some lost love and now he wanted dinner with her? *Perhaps he's planning  
  
something, maybe he wants information on Naraku so he'll seduce it out of me?* She scoffed  
  
at the idea. He may have looked at her with that sad love in his eyes but there was also a  
  
bitter pain as well. Or maybe his intentions were perfectly honorable and he just wanted to be  
  
friends with the girl he had ordered to be kidnapped. She was not betting on the latter. He was  
  
a business sort of man, not one to waste time trying to make friends but one to go directly to  
  
the point. There was a light tap on her door and she opened it up to reveal the ghostly girl  
  
from before.  
  
"I am to be your maid for the night on the orders of Sesshoumaru."  
  
She had a feeling that last part was especially included just for her.  
  
"Right, please come in. And what's your name."  
  
The girl remained silent and held up the kimono for Kagome to step into. With a light shrug  
  
she felt the cool silk touching her skin and a tingle ran down it. An obi was quickly and deftly  
  
wrapped around and tied in a simple knot in the back. Her hair was held back with a cream  
  
colored ribbon. With the candlelight illuminating her face she felt detached as she followed  
  
the girl to Sesshoumaru's quarters. The little girl remained long enough to show her to the  
  
door and slipped away. Her hand raised to knock at the door but she hesitated. Instead she  
  
laid her hand against it and felt it give away to her light pressure. The room was dark, save  
  
one little glow of light coming from the balcony. She followed that light and pushed aside the  
  
gauzy curtains. He was sitting in a chair, looking out at the valley.  
  
"Please, sit." he murmured.  
  
"At least tell me the reason of this invitation to dinner." she demanded.  
  
"Sit." he said, more stronger than before. "And stop being so suspicious, my idea was to  
  
simply dine."  
  
"Then why won't you meet my eyes when you say that?"  
  
He gritted his teeth. He was already being foolish enough, having dinner with this imitation.  
  
What had he been thinking? Inviting her to dinner when the very sight of her brought on fresh  
  
bouts of unhappiness and memories. But he couldn't get that face out of his mind, that perfect  
  
double of Kikyo. If he turned around and looked at her in the eyes....he knew he would not be  
  
able to stop looking.  
  
"Please...just sit." he said softly, bordering onto a whisper.  
  
He could hear the springy cushion as she sat in the seat and he quickly closed his eyes.  
  
"Are you planning on going throughout the whole dinner with your eyes closed?" she asked as  
  
invisible hands began to serve dinner. He opened them and glared at her.  
  
"Are you happy now? My eyes are open, is your heart content?" he snapped.  
  
The glare faded away as he hungrily looked into her star filled eyes that almost glowed like  
  
sapphires. He hastily looked away before she could read what was in his eyes. *Why do you  
  
have to torture me like this? Why did it have to be you? Why couldn't it have been some other  
  
princess?*  
  
"Why did you kidnap me?" she asked, as if she had been reading his thoughts.  
  
"Did we not already go over that?" he remarked, turning his attention to the glass of wine in  
  
his hand.  
  
"If it is not for a ransom, then what is it? Some petty way to deal with a feud between two  
  
lords? To prove a point to your enemy? I am neither his weakness nor his strength and you  
  
would gain nothing from me." she argued.  
  
He didn't answer and just lazily gazed at her face, waiting for her to continue.  
  
"I mean, it is not as if I do not thank you for taking me away from there. But I would like to  
  
know the true meaning behind why I was taken." she stammered.  
  
He still remained silent, twirling the wine in his glass.  
  
"Well? Say something."  
  
"It is not some 'petty' way to deal with a feud, it is nowhere near that. I have bigger plans in  
  
mind for Naraku. And the true meaning to why you were taken...I will reveal when the time is  
  
right."  
  
"If it has to do with me, then I have a right to know." she retorted angrily.  
  
"It ties into your coming marriage with Naraku."  
  
"What about-"  
  
Her mouth closed up and she struggled to open it but something held it in place. She looked  
  
at his face in question and was slightly taken back by what she saw.  
  
"I tire of your questions and I have given you all you should need to know. Leave me."  
  
He turned away from her and stared at a distant castle in the north. He could hear the chair  
  
screech as it was moved back and the sound of her feet gently hitting the ground. She moved  
  
behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, a touch of comfort. Then she left, but her  
  
presence wasn't completely gone. The linger of her soft touch and the tantalizing scent of  
  
jasmine remained behind.  
  
*For those who are confused, Sesshoumaru closed her mouth with magic. And I'm so sorry for the late update! 


	6. Changing Heart

Changing Heart  
  
He couldn't sleep. Another night would pass by with him still tangled in his thoughts. She  
  
shouldn't be doing this to him, stirring up buried feelings that should only rise with Kikyo. But  
  
comfort.....comfort was a feeling he had forgotten altogether since their parting. The  
  
knowledge that though he ached inside, someone would always be there to help. Was she  
  
some enchantress, putting him under a spell in less than a week? Still, he could see her smile  
  
and her glittering eyes even from his quarters far above. Images of Kikyo in his restless  
  
dreams were replaced by the overflowing happiness in a pair of cerulean eyes. Was it  
  
love...or was it the vain act of a heart trying to heal a scar? He had promised himself with iron  
  
will that there would be no more dinners. No more staring at her face, desperately wishing  
  
that it was someone else in her place. But he could still hear her laughter floating above the  
  
crowd on odd moments. Laughter that made sudden twinges in his chest occur. And when he  
  
would be perched on his balcony somehow he would be able to pick her face out among  
  
dozens in the courtyard below. She would boldly hold his gaze, almost daring him to come  
  
down and show his face. And then he would turn away in shame that a worthless girl like her  
  
had forced him into hiding in his own domain. There was a knock at his door and he opened  
  
them without a thought. They closed with a gentle click and suddenly, his senses caught the  
  
scent of jasmine. His body stiffened and he turned his back toward her, looking out his  
  
window.  
  
"Ano....I don't mean to intrude but-" she said softly, as if unsure.  
  
"You did intrude." he replied, a little more harsher than he wanted.  
  
"My apologies but-" she said, still in that soft tone of hers.  
  
"What is so important that you have come up here?"  
  
Silence reigned, and he wondered why he sounded so annoyed when she had done nothing at  
  
all. Maybe it was because he was fighting a loosing battle every time he heard her voice.  
  
"If you are too preoccupied at the moment, then I understand. But I just wanted you to know  
  
that you can't stay up here forever. Your people haven't seen you for days and they are  
  
getting uneasy. They lose confidence because they feel that you lose confidence in this war.  
  
Unless you intend to give up on your plans, I suggest that you at least go downstairs and  
  
make a few visits to your men. Good night, Sesshoumaru-sama." she bowed perfectly, not an  
  
inch below or above what she was suppose to give. Testimony to Sesshoumari of her position,  
  
a human to be kept from Naraku's hands and perhaps his own.  
  
"Why should you care?" he whispered while she opened the door.  
  
"Why shouldn't I?" she whispered back and she left.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dream after dream followed as each night passed. And tonight was no different. She couldn't  
  
remember anything except the horrible feeling of dread every time she woke up. Something  
  
bad was going to happen soon, she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. The vague snatches  
  
she could remember was looking into a mirror and seeing her image smiling sweetly back. But  
  
what did that mean? Was she perhaps the danger that was soon to come? She mulled over this  
  
during breakfast as she passed the trays to the hungry people that walked in. A waving hand  
  
came into her vision and she blinked.  
  
"Hey, are you alright?" Inuyasha asked, his hand falling back to his side.  
  
"Yes, just....it's nothing." she answered absentmindedly, still trying to pick apart her dreams.  
  
"You seemed kind of lost." Inuyasha took the tray from her hands but remained where he was.  
  
"Don't worry about me, go and eat." Kagome gave her brightest smile and Inuyasha's  
  
expression suddenly turned very much like his brother's, calculating and suspicious.  
  
"Look, if any guy is bothering you or-"  
  
"No no, it's nothing, honest."  
  
He gave a shrug and started to walk towards a table.  
  
"But thanks for caring." she said quietly to herself.  
  
There was a loud hush in the room and several people stood up in their seats. Kagome looked  
  
behind her to see who it was. Sesshoumaru stood there in all his glory. That strained man she  
  
had seen last night was no more, but in his place was the haughty and demanding leader. He  
  
strode down to his usual place as if it was just any other normal morning. Kagome hid her  
  
smile and nudged a tray into the next person's hands. Never had she been more aware of how  
  
much the people of the fortress depended on this enigmatic leader. By the time she was done  
  
with the kitchen duty Sesshoumaru had already left. Everybody had already hurried off to do  
  
their own business and she was suddenly very alone. She sat under a tree by the hall entrance  
  
and tucked her knees under her chin. Silently watching the others she didn't notice  
  
Sesshoumaru until he stood right beside her. She jerked her head up and gazed at his face.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama." She bowed her head in greeting.  
  
"So you help in the kitchen." he said, helplessly trying to start an innocent conversation.  
  
"I was wondering if you could teach me self defense." Kagome blurted out, nearly startled by  
  
her own bold words. "I-I might not be here forever and and there won't always be people  
  
there to protect me. I want to learn how to be brave on my own in case.....in case I'm alone  
  
one day." She demurely tucked her hands into her kimono sleeves and looked down. A large  
  
hand with calluses grabbed hers and pulled her up. He gruffly motioned her to follow him and  
  
began to lead her up to his quarters.  
  
"If you want to learn how to be brave, I can't teach you that. But I can teach you how to  
  
defend yourself. You are given no answers to your questions and you will do exactly as I  
  
say." He opened his doors and led her to a small hallway to the left. He pushed aside a hanging  
  
curtain of Japan's mountains that hid a room. It revealed a hidden dojo that was spacious  
  
enough for two people to practice. Swords of every kind and size hung on the walls along with  
  
other sorts of weapons she had never seen before. Three, however, caught her eye. They  
  
hung as centerpieces on the wall directly in front of the door. One was well kept and had a  
  
beautiful scabbard of black with diamonds going down. The other was the complete opposite,  
  
appearing to be a rusty old thing that was falling apart. The last one made her shiver down to  
  
the bone. The evil aura coming off of it was incredible. Kagome had never displayed a 6th  
  
sense of auras and such and even she could feel it coming off in waves.  
  
"Swords passed down to my brother and I from our father." Sesshoumaru stated, noticing her  
  
carefully observe the swords.  
  
"Why don't you use them?" she lifted a finger to touch not the family heirlooms but the sword  
  
that Sesshoumaru had conveniently left out. Before she could even get close something  
  
shocked the tip of her fingers, making her jump.  
  
"We haven't figured out how to use them." he said flatly. "Come. Today, I'll start you on basic  
  
hand to hand combat. First, take your clothes off."  
  
"Nani?!" Kagome crossed her arms in defiance. What had happened to this man of honor?  
  
He held up a hakama and gi which she took with a furious blush. He just stood there watching  
  
and she stood there watching him back.  
  
"Ahem, if you could leave the room so I could change?"  
  
His expression didn't change at all and he just turned his back. Kagome glared at his figure,  
  
changing as quickly as she could. She tapped his shoulder when she was done. In a fast  
  
movement he turned around and his fist came within a centimeter of her nose. She squeeked  
  
and moved back as he gave a sigh.  
  
"Rule number one, never let your guard down."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was amazing how fast the girl learned in a few days, it was at an unnatural speed he had  
  
never seen before in a human. Or perhaps it was the burning desire to be able to defend  
  
herself. She mastered hand to hand combat in six days and was adding weapons on to her list  
  
today. She chose twin swords as her first weapon. They were brilliantly carved by the  
  
strongest metal and the black handles were decorated with golden dragons. She silently held  
  
them, trying to remember the proper grip.  
  
"You're learning fast." he reluctantly said, picking a katana from his wall of weapons.  
  
She looked up and gave a grin. His heart suddenly sped up for no reason and he quickly  
  
turned his head away before she could read the look in his eyes.  
  
"It feels right, somehow. As if I'm suppose to know it." she said, looking down at her new  
  
weapons. With a slow swing he brought his katana down at her head. She blocked it and  
  
jumped back. He continued with slow swings, attacking at all sides and she blocked every one  
  
of them with the same slow moves. He could see the puzzlement in her eyes at their speed but  
  
she kept to her word and asked no questions. After a period of time he began to speed up his  
  
hits, bit by bit. Sweat dripped down her forehead as all her concentration was pinpointed on  
  
the movements of the swords. She was getting tired, he could tell, from the increased  
  
breathing. He raised his katana and brought it crashing down on her swords, making her lose  
  
her balance and fall. The swords clattered on the ground and she winced from the fall. She  
  
continued to sit on the ground and he was walking up to her when she kicked out her legs and  
  
made him jump to avoid contact. In a blurry movement she grabbed her swords and made a  
  
quick cut at his abdomen. He broke through her attack and rested his sword on her neck. She  
  
gave a smile and pointed down at his spotless hakama. There was a 6 inch tear that had even  
  
gone through his own underclothes, stopping just above his skin. Her smile grew wider and  
  
he dropped his sword to the ground. This little girl had managed to get through his  
  
impeccable defenses on her first day. This lady-like maiden who appeared to no sooner touch  
  
a sword than to work for a living. When had she gotten that glint of confidence in her eyes?  
  
And when had she grown so important in his life? Without even knowing it, he lifted a hand to  
  
touch her cheek. The softness of her skin was incredible and he was contemplating the taste of  
  
those lips when he remembered who he was touching. His hand moved back but was stopped  
  
by a smaller hand that grasped his fingers.  
  
"Why do you do that? Why do you keep on turning from me?" her steady eyes pleaded for an  
  
answer.  
  
*Ahh, finally, I finished this chapter. I don't know why but this chapter was just dragging along. Hehehe, isn't amazing how the heart can change? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've been doing some further writing for the next few chapters and I'm starting to get into this story. And are you guys still wondering about the real reason to Naraku's marriage proposal and Sesshoumaru's kidnapping? Hint: they both tie into Kagome (duh) and a secret that even she doesn't know. heehee, I can't wait till you guys find out. meanwhile, keep on reading!! and now that i'm finally getting some quality writing time, I'll be able to answer some questions that you guys are always throwing at me. ^^ 


	7. Just Apologize

Just Apologize  
  
It was a mistake, teaching her self defense. Furthur more, it was a mistake to touch her.  
  
Thousands of sensations came from just that single touch. Sensations that painfully  
  
reminded him of what he had missed out on for months.  
  
"Why do you turn from me?" she asked again, her tiny fingers still clenching his own.  
  
"Are you disgusted by my face?" she demanded.  
  
"Don't ask for answers you won't receive." he finally said and started to pull away but  
  
she held on tighter.  
  
"No, I won't accept that because I know you have an answer. You jerk away every time  
  
I come near, you turn your face whenever I come in the room. You won't meet my eyes  
  
unless I tell you to, just what about me bothers you so much? Who do I remind you of?"  
  
Bullseye. She had hit the target without even trying. This girl was more intuitive then  
  
most youkai he knew. But she could never know who she reminded him of. Suddenly, he  
  
could feel the old anger again, the helpless anger that he had first held when she came  
  
to the fortress. He didn't owe her any explanations of his past, she was already a piece  
  
of it from just her appearance alone. He twisted his hand out from hers and picked up  
  
the katana on the floor.  
  
"Still no answer Sesshoumaru-sama?" she argued, getting annoyed. He gave no reply  
  
and with a sharp movement, threw the sword near her head. She didn't flinch or  
  
screech, her sapphire eyes grew empty. He had taught her to be too much like him.  
  
"So that is how it will be, I accept the answer you give. I shall continue my sword  
  
lessons from another swordsmaster within the fortress. But this is not finished,  
  
Sesshoumaru, not in the least." she replied stonily.  
  
She picked up her swords and exited the room, the emptiness of her aura leaving the  
  
room feeling more bare than ever. He believed her. She would not leave him be until  
  
she knew the reason behind the regret in his eyes. And undoubtedly she would come  
  
back, demanding for an answer.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She was angry. The echoes of her footsteps made slaps in the empty air around the  
  
staircase. Her grip on the swords were tight and looked as if she was ready to fling them  
  
away any second. All she had asked was why he had that flinching look in his eyes  
  
whenever he gazed upon her. He had gotten better about it in the past week but it had  
  
come back full force when she had grabbed his hand. She stopped in her tracks. What  
  
had possessed her in the first place, grabbing his hand as if he was an old lover? She  
  
looked down at her pale white hand, still tense from her previous anger. She couldn't  
  
blame him completely for the fight... she had been overly familiar with him. Strangely  
  
enough, she had felt a certain thrill when she had touched him. The exhilerating feel of  
  
the power in his hands, the pulsing evidence of his youkai heritage. At the same time,  
  
she became very aware of her own mortal weaknesses. Never would she be able to  
  
match the strength he had, at least not in her lifetime. Perhaps she had been too  
  
impulsive in her decision. She knew she wouldn't find another swordmaster that could  
  
surpass Sesshoumaru. And would she let one fight, that was partially her fault, to get in  
  
the way of becoming a brave woman and not some cowering girl? Swallow her pride and  
  
go back....or walk away her last chance in gaining some courage? Desire won over  
  
anger, she turned around and slowly made her way back to where she had come from.  
  
The heavy doors were closed, making her heart heavy as well. She stared at the doors,  
  
wondering it this was a good idea. The door gave a creak and she jumped away  
  
instinctively. It opened on it's own and she cautiously stepped inside a dark room, the  
  
gloomy atmosphere darkening the elegance of the quarters. She pushed aside the  
  
hanging curtain a tiny bit to see if he was in the dojo, no luck. Which meant he was out  
  
on his balcony. Taking a deep gulp she stepped outside to find nobody there. Where had  
  
he gone? He couldn't have passed by her on the stairs without her noticing. She leaned  
  
against the balcony's railing and gave an admiring look at the sprawling forest that  
  
spread for miles and miles. In the far distance would be Naraku's castle, though she  
  
couldn't see it she could feel it. The taint of his own greed and evil still made her shiver  
  
in fear, a permanent reminder of those dark days. Weeks of monotony that seemed  
  
endless while covered with a thick layer of dread. Maybe she could call the truce  
  
tomorrow, when there was daylight and more security. She turned around to meet the  
  
glowing amber eyes of Sesshoumaru. She gave a squeak and bumped her back against  
  
the railing.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama! Ah...um...um..." All her previous stubborness was gone, replaced  
  
by stammering uncertainty as his eyes held hers in an invisible hold. *Just ask, all you  
  
have to do is apologize for your overfamiliar behavior!* Her mind screamed out, but  
  
her mouth thought otherwise. "Would you happen to have a harp I can use?" She  
  
blurted out quickly, her cheeks tinged pink. She looked down at her feet much as she  
  
would have in Naraku's presence. Old habits die hard. *I blew it, asking for a harp? What  
  
am I thinking? I sound like an imbecile!* She finally lifted her head up to find the  
  
balcony empty, save herself.  
  
"Eh? Sesshoumaru?" She looked around his rooms and his dojo to find it deprived of it's  
  
owner. She felt annoyance as the curtain to the dojo swished behind her. A glittering  
  
object caught her attention and as she walked closer, she found a beautiful harp near  
  
the doors.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
How long was this fight going to last? It had been two long days of waiting and sitting.  
  
And just when was she going to gain the courage to talk to him? She moodily stared at  
  
the harp that stood in the corner of her room. Ancient was the perfect word for it. It  
  
was molded from a beautiful bronze with gold roses melted in and was as high as her  
  
waist. When she played a chord the tuning was perfect, nothing but the best for a  
  
youkai. And for all it's grandness, it was light enough for her to maneuver it around  
  
anywhere by herself. She had yet to play a song for it, still remembering her last harp  
  
master and his words. She was almost afraid to touch the instrument. If she played with  
  
her heart, what would it show? Better yet, what would it sound? She gave a snort of  
  
disgust at herself, first she was afraid to talk to Sesshoumaru, now she was afraid to play  
  
a harmless instrument? What had happened to her? Had she always been this cowardly?  
  
Memories flooded back despite the reluctance of her heart. A tear dropped and she  
  
hastily wiped it away. Naraku, it all happened because of him. She had never feared  
  
anything before, always taking risks and dares just for the pure thrill. He had beaten  
  
every bit of resistence out of her body and poured in fear to replace the fire that had  
  
once flamed inside. She had been broken of her spirit within two months in his castle.  
  
Was it all gone? The bravery she once held now only felt like a faraway dream. The  
  
young, carefree girl had been wiped away, leaving only the shattered hope of ever  
  
regaining her old self back. She sniffed one more time and gave one more wipe at her  
  
eyes, making sure no tears remained. She lugged the harp downstairs, slipping off  
  
towards the fortress's walls. She had seen a small backdoor when being shown around  
  
by Inuyasha. All she needed was a little time to herself. And maybe, maybe if she was  
  
daring enough, play the harp. The door was just where she remembered. Taking a quick  
  
look to the right and left she opened the door and stepped outside. It was trees all  
  
around, packed close together. The effect was sunlight shining in shades of green,  
  
creating a calming look. She walked for a few minutes and stopped in a small clearing  
  
not too far from the wall. It was perfect, solitary and away from humans and youkai  
  
alike. She settled the instrument carefully on a flat rock and sat down, staring at the  
  
harp. She silently berated herself for hesitating and leaned the harp against her  
  
shoulder. She played the music inside her soul and the tune was beyond her as she  
  
concentrated on plucking every feeling. From fear to hope to love. She closed her eyes,  
  
letting everything go into notes of emotions. The tune floated throughout the forest,  
  
quieting even the beautiful songs of the wildlife within till the only thing you could hear  
  
was the gentle song of a heart. It's voice was replete with a passion that silenced  
  
everything else in a soothing lull. She didn't even listen to the notes, her fingers  
  
remembering every string's sound. She just played and played, centering everything  
  
into a harp. Not far off, two pair of ears heard the distant song.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
All voices cleared from his head as his ears perked up to hear...something. He wasn't  
  
too sure what it was, but he waved the talking soldier away and began to follow his ears.  
  
It took him over the wall and through dozens of trees till the song was right before him.  
  
He hid behind a cluster of trees and observed the girl sitting on the rock. Kagome. He  
  
should have known that the girl would eventually go against his demand and come  
  
outside. But his mind shooed away all thoughts as he leaned against a trunk and just  
  
listened. The melody sounded sorrowful, the depth of it's hidden meaning unclear but  
  
not so much that he couldn't guess what it was. It was the song of a forlorn heart. Was it  
  
because of him? Had he done something terribly wrong? *The fight, you baka* His mind  
  
scolded. *You still haven't apologized for losing your temper* Amber eyes closed as he  
  
crossed his arms. The fight, damn, he should have apologized already. It was his fault,  
  
and she had been innocent enough when asking him those questions. Why was he so  
  
averse in saying two simple words? Was it because he feared her reaction? He turned  
  
around and started to go back to the fortress, but the haunting melody didn't leave his  
  
ears.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kikyo could hear the harp playing nearby. She had been following the sound for the  
  
past ten minutes and could hear it growing louder and louder. Whoever played was  
  
skilled because every note felt like a pull of emotion, bringing her closer. Sitting upon  
  
the boulder was the young girl that Naraku had been planning on marrying. The  
  
uncanny similarities was made crystal clear as the girl's bent head rose to meet Kikyo's  
  
look. Her eyes widened and her fingers froze as she stared at a woman who could pass  
  
off as her twin. Her mouth opened a little bit, as if she was going to say something.  
  
"Hello. I was wondering if there was a fortress near here, I have been journeying long  
  
and far." Kikyo said softly. Kagome snapped out of her staring daze.  
  
"Yes-yes there is. In fact, I'll show you there myself." She picked up the harp and  
  
motioned Kikyo to follow her.  
  
"I hope I didn't disturb you." Kikyo walked quietly behind.  
  
"It's alright, I wasn't suppose to be outside anyway."  
  
"Oh? Why not? Does the leader not permit you to?" The woman asked curiously.  
  
"You could say I'm under house arrest." Kagome stole a look behind her. "He's not a bad  
  
man, if that's what you're asking. I guess there is good reason for me not being out here,  
  
but I haven't been in the forest for ages. Um, if you don't mind me asking, why are you  
  
looking for the fortress?" Kagome opened the door, not noticing that it had been left a  
  
crack open for her.  
  
"I know the leader." Kikyo replied, her eyes quickly processing everything inside the  
  
walls, just as Kagome had done when she had first arrived here.  
  
"Would you like me to take you to him?" Kagome offered politely. The woman gave a  
  
thankful smile and Kagome felt her heart go out for the woman.  
  
"I'm Higurashi Kagome." She accompanied this with a bow. Kikyo gave a small bow  
  
back.  
  
"Kikyo."  
  
*She's so quiet* Kagome thought as she walked up the stairs to Sesshoumaru's doors. As  
  
usual, the heavy door opened by itself before Kagome could. When they entered, there  
  
was a whip of air as something white zipped towards them. Kagome stepped back to see  
  
the youkai leader embracing Kikyo as if she was the most precious thing in the world.  
  
Kikyo embraced him back, holding tightly at his clothes while tears slid down from her  
  
clenched eyes. A blush stained her white cheeks as Kagome took a step back. She  
  
turned around and ran downstairs, the doors closing with a loud thud.  
  
________________________________________________________________  
  
*And a HUGE note, this WILL NOT BE A KIK/SESS. Absolutely NO way, I'm just adding it in because it's part of the story's plot. I will try to make as little fluff between them as possible, but just a caution that despite what happens, this will NOT BE A KIK/SESS. other than that, thanks for reading and sorry for the late update. ^^ and for those who are reading my other stories, I've updated all of them as well. unfortunately, I had to take off Trial of the Shikon Guardians because I lost my interest in that story. I thought the plot itself was unique, but I just couldn't think of anyway to get it starting again. Someone else could use the storyline if they want to, I don't mind. But I know I can't think of anything for the story. 


	8. Know Nothing

Know Nothing  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
She touched her cheeks, alarmed that they were still burning. She had never seen such intimacy between a man and a woman, even when she had lived with her parents. Theirs had been a politeness that blanketed all feelings, but Sesshoumaru and Kikyo....she had almost felt a spark in the air. She heaved a quiet sigh and continued to step downstairs, feeling stupid that she had left so quickly. It made her seem like a child that had never seen two people hug, she blushed again. The youkai lord had the free will to do whatever he wanted, which included embracing a strange woman. Then, why did she feel a bit betrayed? She shook her head as she entered her room, her twin swords catching her eyes. Maybe some practice would do her good, it might help her clear out her head. She changed into her training clothes and strapped the swords onto her back for easy reach. Now, for her sparring partner... she didn't know many of the warriors in the camp well, and none she knew were masters of the sword. She was stepping out of her room when she ran into Inuyasha.  
  
"Oy! Watch where you're going!" He grumbled as he steadied her unbalanced body.  
  
"Maybe if you didn't walk right in front of people's doors-" She grumbled as well, then an idea appeared. "Inuyasha, would you spar with me?" She looked up at him hopefully as conflict arose on his face.  
  
"I thought you were practicing with Sesshoumaru." He pointed out.  
  
"He's...preoccupied at the moment. Will you? I just started swords today but my practice was, erm, interrupted." She stammered, feeling that accursed blush coming on again. She felt so agitated at the very thought of Sesshoumaru hugging somebody like that, helplessly giving into her own body's reaction.  
  
"Eh? What are you getting all red for? Did he 'do' something to you?!" He demanded angrily.  
  
"Inuyasha! H-how could you think of that? Hentai!" She stammered again indignantly. "I'll just go and spar with someone who is less perverted." She began to stomp away but he jogged next to her, keeping up easily with her nearly running walk.  
  
"Calm down, I'll spar with you, but I won't go easy on a 'girl'."  
  
*Ooo, you'll be eating your words in a few minutes* She steamed, becoming suddenly emotional and flustered. *Ack, what's wrong with me? What am I all steamed up for? It can't be over Sesshoumaru and Kikyo being friendly with each other* A very un-Kagome growl escaped her lips as they came upon the training yard. There wasn't as many soldiers training today and they moved to make room for the leader's brother and the young woman who had fire sparkling out of her normally calm ocean blue eyes. The two faced off, neither reaching for their swords but just standing there, carefully evaluating each other. A breath of wind rose and the second it fell, Inuyasha rushed at her, his sword drawn within a blink of an eye. His muscles tensed up to start slowing down for her but she was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Over here." She called out from his right and he whirled to see her standing beside him. His sword came crashing down and she brought her own swords out right in time to block them. She let out a hiss of breath; Inuyasha's strikes were powerful. She slipped one of the swords out of the block and did a quick stab at his lower abdomen. He pushed back at her swords, making her to stumble but she caught herself. She attacked this time, using her speedy light figure as an advantage to his heavier body. She struck at his right, making him use his sword to block hers and aimed a kick to his side. He twisted away, breaking their contact.  
  
"Not that bad, your defense is terrible." He grinned, two canines showing through. She didn't break her concentration but started to plan another attack. She moved her right sword into a downward stroke then swiftly changed it to a sloping right strike that moved to cut upwards at his chest. His eyes widened in faint surprise but he blocked it with another grin. He barely saw her left sword sweeping up and she held her breath for victory but his free hand caught her wrist.  
  
"I win." He released her wrist and slipped his katana back into its sheath. "Not that bad, you got in a lot of lucky shots. How long have you been learning?" He asked curiously.  
  
"I started today." She slipped her swords back into their own separate sheaths as Inuyasha's mouth dropped.  
  
"What? You must be joking! A beginner can't do that!" He argued as she began to walk towards the kitchens.  
  
"It feels right." She admitted quietly, almost to herself. "Like I should be knowing all of this martial arts."  
  
In the beginning of all her training, her body had resisted and she sometimes winced whenever she kicked or punch. But then, her body began to learn things in a frighteningly fast pace. It even used moves that she hadn't even learned, her own mind incorporating dozens of techniques that jumped into sparring sessions. That quick change of moves while sparring with Inuyasha was definitely something she hadn't learned recently, but her body was remembering something. It felt like something inside was awakening inside her.  
  
She heaved her second sigh of the day, wondering where all of this sighing was coming from. Her body was doing new things and it made her feel like a stranger to her own self. The cooks all waved at her and she waved back, plastering a smile on her face. Dutytime. There were already people getting into the line for lunch. She methodically passed the steaming trays of food to each person. Thinking about it now, how had she managed to get a strike in when she had sparred with Sesshoumaru? The youkai lord was an expert and he would never let his defenses down even in front of a beginner like her. And Inuyasha, how had she managed to survive without getting all cut up? She was acting before thinking, automatically blocking every blow and striking at every turn. The fight had been a blur in her mind but her body was feeling the slight strains of untrained muscles. She faintly heard a voice calling her name and she shook her head.  
  
"Kagome?" A voice repeated. A blurry face appeared to reveal the wolf boy that had argued with Inuyasha.  
  
"Eh, yes?" She asked, pushing a tray of food into his hands.  
  
"I saw your match and-"  
  
"Oy! There are people in this line that are hungry! Get moving!" Someone called out, others adding in their comments as well.  
  
"Kora!! I'm trying to talk!" The wolf boy yelled as he was shoved away by the next person in line. "Shut up and sit down, stupid wolf boy!" Inuyasha appeared from behind Kagome, his loud voice numbing her ears. The 'stupid wolf boy' began to let out a stream of curses and Kagome gave a gasp as Inuyasha returned them with a string of his. She sent a pleading look at the cooks but they just shrugged their shoulders and pretended to appear busy cooking.  
  
"Ano, could you guys-" She asked them loudly over their shouting match.  
  
"Dogbreath!!"  
  
"Take this outside?" She continued weakly. A plea was obviously not going to work here. She grabbed their hands and started to pull them outside the dining hall. To her dismay, they didn't even notice the young woman pulling them but kept their insulting going. Once they were outside she tried to ask them to stop fighting but their arguing grew louder and shoves were being introduced. She pushed herself between them, hoping to create a barrier but it didn't help at all. Their anger was beginning to push achingly at her eardrums and she was alarmed to see her body taking on an azure tinge. She pushed against Inuyasha's and Kouga's chest with her glowing hands and her head exploded in a terrible migraine. The last image she saw was a stone faced Sesshoumaru standing a few feet away.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
There was a cool cloth on her forehead and whispered words of comfort. An image of her mother formed in her mind, a content smile on her strained face as she waved a last goodbye to her daughter. Her mother's figure grew tinier as the distance from the carriage grew larger but the figure never turned away till her daughter was out of sight.  
  
"Mother?" She groaned against the fuzziness of her mind.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I'm not your mother." The voice said softly as Kagome opened her eyes. Kikyo was staring down at her, kneeling with a water bucket beside her. The woman gave a small smile at Kagome. "Good, you're awake. Inuyasha was ranting so much that I had to send him outside." Kagome sat up and dizzily kept herself up with two hands. All traces of that horrible headache was gone, replaced by a drained feeling inside that left her feeling like an empty vessel.  
  
"What happened?" She asked Kikyo.  
  
"I wasn't there, Sesshoumaru sent me down here to make sure you were alright." The sound of his name made her vision go clearer. He had looked disappointed before she had passed out from whatever she had.  
  
"Is he angry at me?" She asked warily, fingering her soft blanket.  
  
"I believe it was aimed towards Inuyasha and that wolf demon. If you're feeling better, I must attend to other ill patients." She stood up to leave but Kagome grabbed the sleeve of her gi.  
  
"You're a healer? Will you be staying with us?" Kikyo nodded her head and gracefully stood up.  
  
"I hope you feel better." She said as she opened the door to let Inuyasha in and stepped out. Inuyasha looked guilty and he had a scowl on his face, keeping his eyes on the ground like a kicked puppy.  
  
"Inuyasha? What are you doing here?" Kagome asked curiously, feeling her energy finally returning. She stretched out her arms and neck, still feeling sore from practice.  
  
"What do you mean what am I doing in here?!" His scowl deepened and he shoved his hands into the sleeves of his bright red gi. "You're the one who almost killed me and Kouga! You're lucky we both had demon blood to survive that! What the hell was that blue thingy anyway? Why didn't you tell me you practiced black magic or whatever?!!" Kagome gave a wince at his blaring voice.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I don't even know what I did. But...I'm sorry, I really am." She looked down at her blankets in the similar fashion Inuyasha had when he first walked in. Just when she was puzzling over her sudden ability to fight, now she had all this magic to deal with too. What was happening to her? The only thing she had remembered was that stabbing pain in her head and something being sucked out of her body. Inuyasha caught her downcast expression and his scowl softened down into a frown.  
  
"Hey, you aren't going to cry, are you? I mean, it's no big deal, Kouga and I are strong enough to take it." He stammered, trying to search for words to make her feel better. She gave him a weak smile for his rather futile attempts.  
  
"It's ok, I'm fine, at least I think I am. I just need time to.... think about all of this." She once again stared glumly at her wrinkled blanket. "I don't think I'm normal anymore, Inuyasha, not with all of the evidence that's been building up over the past two weeks." She jerked herself out of her thoughtful state and gave Inuyasha another weak smile. "Gomen, I didn't mean to sound so-"  
  
"Don't worry about it, just yell or something the next time you're mad instead of blasting us thirty feet away with that power of yours." He gave a wince. "It felt like it was tearing my skin apart. Well, ja." He gave a sort of awkward salute then slid the door open to exit the room. "If you need another sparring partner, just ask...and DON'T go to that stupid wolfboy, he sucks when it comes to martial arts." He growled warningly before slamming the door shut.  
  
"What an odd way of making someone feel better." Kagome noted to herself quietly. "At least it worked, sort of." She pushed her blankets aside and slowly stood up, making sure she wasn't taxing her body too much. She swayed for just a moment but stood up well enough. Her tiny window shone in dim light, signaling the closing of sunlight's time and the opening arms of the moon's night. There was a small knock on her door before it opened to show the lord of the fortress himself. He glanced uncomfortably around the room before leaning himself against the wall by the door. She allowed her eyes to fall at the wooden floorboards that held some rather interesting patterns of lines.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you had magic?" He asked in a low murmur so quiet she barely heard his words. She raised her head in surprise.  
  
"But I don't, I mean, I don't have any magic. And it's certainly not genetic considering my own family is about as magical as a rock. And I'm a human too and humans don't hold any magic, it's the youkai or the miko's who-"  
  
"Stop your idiotic babbling." He interrupted mid sentence, making Kagome furrow her eyebrows in annoyance but she didn't talk back, only closing her mouth shut. "So you never knew you had magic?"  
  
"I never displayed any before in the past." She said curtly, wondering what all this interrogating was about.  
  
"Very well." He turned his body to open the door and leave.  
  
"Wait!" She said, grabbing his shoulder, which he shook off with disdain.  
  
"What's wrong with you lately? And what was all that questioning for?" She demanded. She gave a sudden pause, a thought coming into her head. "It's about today, isn't? You know something about my magic, don't you?!" She said angrily. He didn't answer her, confirming her suspicions. " What is all this damn suspense hanging around me that I don't even know about?!! Why won't you tell me?! Why are you hiding everything from me?!!"  
  
The air grew heavy and her body froze, something causing every muscle to go as still as stone. She struggled to move but was helpless to do anything. He looked down at her with what seemed like regret in his amber eyes. Something very akin to a sigh passed through his lips.  
  
"You'll know...soon enough." He whispered by her ear before sliding the door shut. His magic withdrew its hold and she collapsed onto the floor, tears flowing out of her eyes. She didn't know herself anymore......  
  
*erm, yeah, once again, very sorry for the late update, I seem to be apologizing in every chapter, but I have a good excuse this time, I've moved and it took me a while to adjust. lol, anyways, how u enjoyed it and don't forget to review. (p.s. sorry for the kik/sess scare, sure, the loved each other in the past and he is doing this whole rebellion thing for her, but the pairing for this story will definitely end as a kag/sess!)  
  
E.L.E.G.A.N.T: ^^ uh, I updated, finally. That and decisions of love, so whew, that's a load off my mind. I'll try to do better, because my updating time is pretty reprehensible. Gomen!  
  
Hersheykiss1012: hehehe, I was just waiting for somebody to comment on how the kikyo thing was switched, I'm glad u caught that, ur the first to comment on it. ^^  
  



	9. Entwined

Entwined

She had to leave this place. Unwanted emotions and terrifying magic was far beyond what she had expected when pursuing a life of freedom. If anything, she felt chained by all the unexplained occurrences that had recently circulated around her life. What was the point of escaping her world of blindness if all she ever saw was fear?

She clawed through her drawers, throwing out the bare necessities she would take. The frantic energy that had fueled her anger suddenly disappeared and she fell ungracefully to the floor, a pile of useless flesh. A coward. That was what she was. Those lessons of self-defense and weaponry were only invisible walls to hide her pitiful fear. A fear that grew each time something unlocked a secret part of her that she never knew. If she couldn't trust herself, then who could she trust? She dug her palms into her eyes, hard enough that white stars flashed in the darkness she had condemned herself.

So what if she was a coward? At least she was an honest coward, unlike that Sesshoumaru, the liar who hid behind his mask of emptiness. An image of Sesshoumaru's face appeared, lines on his face she had never seen had softened and there was so much gratefulness speaking from his unopened mouth, warmth from his clenched eyes. Something viciously scrapped the inside of her chest and she hurriedly made a travel bundle. After some hesitation, she took the twin swords Sesshoumaru had given her and tucked them carefully on her back, letting her hair loose to hide them. She opened up her senses and sneaked out to the hidden door she had let Kikyo in. To her dismay, an alert guard was standing in front of it and she gave a groan. _Make him leave, make him take a break, or relieve himself, or anything!_ A strange look passed over the guard's face and he looked around before scampering off to the privy. With a prayer of thanks sent to the gods, she slipped through the door and into the woods.

Her first step outside the fort brought her to her knees, her hands digging deep into the earth. Something was pulling desperately at her, enough to make her want to run to the end of the earth, anywhere, just to go to whoever was calling her. She controlled her breathing enough to listen to a distant song. A harp sang softly in the dark, beckoning her with erratic notes erupting from the harmonious sequence. A millennia seemed to have passed before she gathered enough self control to stand and slowly walk to the song she heard. The closer she got, the harder the song pulled at her, hard enough that walking wasn't even necessary anymore. She was floating to the source, feeling relief and apprehension at the same time.

Kikyo had draped herself elegantly on the limb of a tree, clearly waiting for Kagome's appearance. The song had disappeared the second the girl had come into the clearing, the very same clearing she had been playing the harp in. Kikyo's miko robes of red and white were no more, she wore a mournful black that made her skin glow like a wandering spirit. Gleaming dragon serpents entwined themselves around her like beloved pets and Kagome felt the knot that had been growing in her stomach tear.

"Who are you?" Kagome whispered.

"I think the real question is, who are _you_?" Kikyo asked gravely. She gracefully stepped down from the tree and walk to Kagome, standing close enough that there should have been a line of heat between them… should have been. Kagome wanted to step away from the strange chill radiating from the miko but she held her ground with pure stubbornness. "The warmth you hold, the emotions you release, where do they come from? _Who_ do they come from?" Kikyo asked, almost bitterly this time.

"Me." The younger girl said, but with hesitation. Her blue eyes were brilliant with fear and not even the night could cast shadows on her form.

"No!" Kikyo spat out and stalked away from Kagome to stand by her tree, a shadow even in the path of silvery moonlight. "You are _me!_ _My_ face. _My_ powers. _My_ life!"

Her cries were swallowed by the night and the silence that followed was heavy with malice. Suddenly, she was a blur and she appeared before Kagome once more, this time grabbing her wrists with a frightening ferocity.

"Let me go!" Kagome struggled but the miko's grip was tighter than death.

"Remember this very well, robber of my life," Kikyo hissed, her face contorting with hate. "I didn't wait hundreds of years to have everything I worked for fall apart because of you. If you ever come in contact with Sesshoumaru again, I'll throw everything away to erase you from existence."

A splitting headache raged inside Kagome's head and a blue light filled the clearing and her star struck eyes. She felt herself falling through time with only the remnants of her last thought. She wanted to go home…

break

"My dear little girl, you've come back, haven't you?" He whispered in her ear, gentleness oozing from his voice like tangible poison.

She didn't want to open her eyes. She didn't want to see the hell she knew she had returned to. Or maybe she had only dreamed of her short lived freedom. Perhaps, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha and everyone else were only figments of her frail hope, manifesting in an incredibly real dream. She held back her tears and readied herself for another day of naked fear. His drowning purple eyes swallowed her world and she tried not to flinch as he ran cold fingers down her cheek.

"We won't ever do that again, will we? Kagome-san?" He hissed, grabbing a fistful of her ebony hair. He buried his face into it and took a deep breath. "I wouldn't want to lose another one of my precious objects."

The scent of deep forest, the sounds of human chatter… she tried to remember her dream as Naraku's fingers tugged on her obi. She wasn't back in the castle, she was at the fort, doing normal duties and gossiping on daily occurrences. She briefly heard her obi tear but she replaced it with the sound of the swordmakers hammering away on thin pieces of metal. A sharp slap brought her back to reality and she looked at Naraku with glazed eyes.

"You're no fun." He said, getting off the bed. He motioned guards to stand in their corners and threw a small package at Kagome's feet. "My gift to you, the true…" The doors shut before he could finish his sentence.

She pulled her robes close to her body and stared dumbly at the plainly wrapped package. With trembling fingers, she touched the paper and it fell apart to reveal a lock of hair so dark that it was a void in her hands.

Kikyo's hair. Kikyo's darkness…

The blue light filled her eyes once more, but only in memory. What had happened to the priestess? More importantly, what had Kagome done? The light was identical to the searing fire that had burnt Kouga and Inuyasha. What could it have done to a mortal human?

She wanted to lay back down again and slip into her dream of selfish safety. However real it may have been in the past, she was back in Naraku's castle now. The only thing she could do to save those memories was to call it a dream. She was in his clutches for the rest of her life. Never again would he let her escape and her fate was permanently sealed because she was too much of a coward to try again. She truly was…

Her eyes snapped open. Naraku's unfinished sentence- what had he meant? The true what?

A pile of clothes was thrown at her feet by a guard and she looked up in confusion. He motioned her to put it on with a face that warned against any arguing. His stern expression was pointless, she wouldn't have argued anyways. What hope was left? What could be done now that she was Naraku's prisoner? With an empty face she slipped on the black attire without retreating to the bathroom. No hope at all.

When did she become such a coward? Even her soul had given up. She truly was just an empty shell.

The guards escorted her to Naraku's throne room and her stomach twisted with only a shadow of dread. Did he want to kill her now? He looked up from his chair expectantly, a gentle smile on his pale face. Thin, dagger like fingers played with a loose curl that escaped from his black mane. The daggers flew, motioning the guards to leave the room, and then there was only the two in the large room. She drew close to him, feeling nothing but a thick anticipation of her demise.

"Did you enjoy my present? I'm sure you felt it when you picked it up. Tell me, exactly how do you feel right now? Fearful? Anticipant? Or perhaps, even regretful?" He asked with eagerness in his drowning eyes.

"You're going to kill me." She said flatly.

"My dear Kagome-san, why would I kill you? You are the only one left after you obliterated the original. To kill you would mean to kill a dream that took hundreds of years to create."

"I don't understand." Kagome said slowly. Fear was soaking into her every fiber as she realized that Naraku would not end her unbearable existence. Was she damned to live forever in this nightmare? The fear doubled when she realized her clothes were the same as Kikyo's, perhaps even the very same.

"A long time ago, in this kingdom, there was a legend of eternity."

"What does this have to do with me?" Her voice sounded loud and panicked. She was afraid of Naraku's seemingly harmless words. The truth…. He was going to tell her the truth and she suddenly didn't want to know anymore.

"A jewel that would grant it's owner anything he desired." He continued. "But the only way this jewel could exist is if it came from the heart of a pure and powerful priestess. Yet, only two priestesses in history were ever qualified. The first, who started the legend and hid the jewel with her successor before her death. And the second, the successor."

"No, no, stop it!" The truth was close now and the fear was choking her voice. She would soon know the answer and the curse to her existence.

"Why are you so afraid?" He asked, but she knew that the answer was already in his hands. "It's only a story."

"The priestess is me, isn't it? And that's why you took me from my parents and kept me prisoner here. You want the jewel inside of me!" It all made sense, her sudden knowledge of martial arts and her magic powers. It was all knowledge and power that had already been imprinted for a priestess. Still… why did she feel like it didn't belong to her at all? That the blue light and the knowledge of self defense wasn't a part of her true self.

Naraku gave a burst of laughter and all thoughts in Kagome's head stopped.

"Did you ever wonder why the Western Lord Sesshoumaru kidnapped you? Or better yet, why you look so similar to Kikyo?" He laughed again, this time clapping his hands like a child. "The priestess, haha, I suppose you are her in a way."

"Wha-I- I'm not the priestess?" She stuttered, her conjecture broken to pieces. "Then, what… who am I?"

"I thought Sesshoumaru would have told you, but I guess he wanted to keep you in ignorance. Such terrible manners for a lord, don't you think?" Naraku surmised.

"Who am I?" Kagome demanded, all fear forgotten.

"You killed the original successor, so I suppose you are the priestess… after all, you are her copy. My dear Kagome, you are just an empty doll with the soul of the great high priestess Kikyo, inheritor of the Shikon jewel. After nearly killing her lover, she sought vengeance against me and ended up tainting her soul, hence erasing any chances of me procuring the Shikon jewel from her lovely body. Which is why _you _were made. A rather foolproof plan, don't you think? The jewel always gets passed down to the next qualifying candidate when the present owner is incapable of holding the Shikon. Though, I really should have just killed her lover and save myself the current trouble."

A splitting headache raged inside her skull, penetrating deeper and deeper until she thought she would tear her mind apart. It was all a jumble of information and she couldn't figure out how to place it all in a way that she would understand. The headache throbbed harder and she grabbed her head. Only one thing stood out in the horrifying truth that Naraku unveiled- she was a shell with Kikyo's body. A sob escaped from her mouth and the headache grew worse. A sudden urge to destroy everything around her emerged and blue light filled her eyes. Something hit her arms and the blue light vanished to be replaced by a sharp pain . She looked down to see blood flowing down from both her arms. Naraku stood before her with a vicious looking sword in his hands and a face of fury.

"Neither Midoriko or Kikyo were _ever _able to kill me, which means a soulless copy like you doesn't have a chance." He hissed at her. He easily lifted her from the ground and threw her into the hands of two guards. "I'm through waiting for you to become pure. Seeing as how you're already powerful enough to summon your powers, you're ready to have the jewel taken out. Throw her in the dungeons!"

"Tomorrow, you'll finally live up to your purpose- a carrier of the jewel." He called out to her before turned his back and sitting on his throne. The doors closed behind the guards and she fainted from the blood loss.

break

It had never crossed his mind that she would leave. He had foolishly assumed like a naïve lovestruck youth that once she would come back to him that she would never leave his arms again. Yet here he was, his arms were empty, as well as was his heart. In addition to losing his love once more, he had also driven away his chance to win the war,. Kagome, the enigmatic girl with powers he thought was only a foolish rumor, but she was a rumor that had slowly become reality. Her powers were exactly like what the Shikon legend told. In the end, would he have used her the same way that Naraku would have? She could have meant victory in his hands. The only oversight that he had been unprepared for was her face, her face so identical to Kikyo. Could he have used her just like Naraku to win the war? A soft step behind him made him whirl around, his claws unsheathed and ready.

"It's his scent." Inuyasha said through gritted teeth. "I don't think she's alive."

"Which one?" Sesshoumaru asked tiredly, turning around to gaze beyond the forest surrounding them. He could feel his brother's irritation.

"You choose." Inuyasha snapped. "They're both gone anyways. Are you wavering now, after that bastard Naraku almost killed you? We've been fighting for over a hundred years and you've been telling me that it would all end soon. What do we have now that is making you so sure we will win. And what is happening now that's making you waver?"

"It's nothing." He snapped at his brother's intuition. "The time to wait is over. Make the preparations to storm Naraku's castle at sunset tomorrow."

Inuyasha grabbed his brother's arm, unwilling to let go even after a deathly glare.

"Don't let her disappearance influence your decision. Are we really going in because the time is right, or because he stole her from you again?"

Red tattoos appeared on Sesshoumaru's cheeks as his eyes narrowed in rage. Inuyasha let go in disgust and walked out the door. They slammed shut behind him and he gave a sigh.

"Who are you going to rescue?" Inuyasha asked aloud. "Your love? Or the shadow of your love?"

break

Haha, never thought Inuyasha would be so intuitive? Well, it is kind of OOC for him, but I think he deserves to have a few moments of intelligence. yes, i realize this chapter has no breaks or lines indicating a change of scene. fanfiction is being stupid again and not letting it show, but i figure u guys are smart enough to figure it out. still, it really bugs me, ah well. It really has been a long time since I've updated and I've noticed the story is going in a different direction than the summary implies (which I'll have to change soon) but oh well. And a head's up, this story has only one, maybe two more chapter left until its over. I really drag beginnings (it's a bad habit, one that I will hopefully wean from my future stories). Hopefully this chapter answered a lot of your questions, and if not, well, there's the next chapter. Thanks to everybody who actually kept up with this story, despite its slowness. this story is certainly not my best, but I enjoyed working on it the same. Ah, I should be saving this kind of speech for my last chapter. Stay patient with me!

Mad-4-Manga: Oh, glad you picked up on those three swords. Yes, they will be used in the next chapter, but I can't say who

Allessia: Thank you for being patient with me. Time is not my best friend

Orchidaceae:I hope the twist in this chapter was good, I didn't give it too much thought, to be honest. I just dove into it since it was kind of new. I'm actually pretty neutral about Kikyo, though I've written a few kikyo bashing one


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